


Shiro Birthday Exchange 2020

by kettish



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kettish/pseuds/kettish
Summary: Shiro loves spring, but spring doesn't love him.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: Shiro Birthday Exchange 2020





	Shiro Birthday Exchange 2020

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mahokoyuki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahokoyuki/gifts).



> IRL kind of exploded, and I am sorry it's late and not great but it's here! Hopefully it's sweet and loving, even though it's short. <3

It was spring, and the world was blooming, and Shiro was stuck inside.

He coughed, grimacing when phlegm got in his mouth, and spat it out onto a tissue before snuffling again and groaning. Springs at the Garrison were beautiful, with the desert coming alive with flowers and green, growing things, and...Shiro had wicked seasonal allergies. Always had. It was honestly shocking that Haggar hadn’t bred it out of the clones. 

“Of course. Wouldn’t help her any I guess,” he said. His voice was thick and nasal and he sounded drunk from the antihistamines. He cleared his throat a few times to see if the tickle would come out; no dice. Shiro shifted, punched a pillow into a more supportive shape, and laid back on it with his head elevated, resigning himself to misery for the short term future. At least it was a day off; he would’ve been terribly embarrassed if he’d had to try and bark out orders on the bridge sounding like this.

It would pass, obviously. It just sucked in the meantime. He sighed and let the benadryl knock him out for a while.

  
  


When he opened his eyes next, the sun had moved significantly; when he’d closed his eyes against the woozy exhaustion of the allergy meds and had to blow his nose eighteen times in less than half an hour, the sun had shone brightly but not directly into his window. Now the sun beamed down onto the bedspread, warming his legs deliciously, and he laid there for long minutes, enjoying the quiet even though his labored breathing interrupted it. Sighing, he turned his head to the side to get comfortable, and noticed a glass of water and a blister pack of more allergy medication on his bedside table.

Keith. Had to have been. The only other person who would’ve thought to do something like this would be Hunk, but Hunk couldn’t sneak up on Shiro while Shiro was asleep. Keith absolutely could and would. Shiro felt a smile on his face as he tilted to the side to pick up the meds, took them, and then picked up his datapad.

_ Thank you for the medicine, _ he sent Keith’s ‘pad.The reply was swift.

_ Stay in bed, I’m bringing dinner. _

Darn. Shiro would have to stay in bed, sleepy and warm and not sneezing or snotting for the moment, and wait for his gorgeous best just-a-friend to bring him food in bed. 

_ You don’t have to, but thanks _ , he replied, grinning when Keith only replied with a “rolling eyes” emoji. Keith had insisted on caring for him ever since he’d come back from the Galra, and while it’d been a little overwhelming at first...Shiro had grown to rely on it. It was very grounding, knowing there was always going to be someone who would be happy to help you back up, and bring you food and meds, and a dozen other little things that made Shiro feel cherished.

It fed into his crush, unfortunately. 

“Don’t make it weird,” he muttered to himself, and heard the front door slide open and shut again a moment later. He called out, “Bedroom,” before coughing again.

“You sound awful,” Keith commented as he nudged the door open with his shoulder. His hands were full with a bottle of water and a plastic container of food; Shiro couldn’t get even a whiff of what was in it, his nose was so congested, but Keith only ever brought him good food. It was definitely conditioned response that made his mouth water, and not the fact that Keith was wearing sweatpants and a thin t-shirt; it should have looked ratty and worn, but it just looked comfortable to Shiro. It was a good look for him.

“Thanks,” Shiro replied dryly. Keith huffed a laugh as he set everything down and then plopped onto Shiro’s bed, scooting himself up to sit next to Shiro up against the headboard with their bodies up tight against on another, thigh to thigh.. Picking up the container, he popped off the lid and handed Shiro a spoon and said, “Here. Eat. Your mama said this was good for sick people.”

“Mama’s answer to everything is to feed someone.” The container was filled with a clear broth that looked creamy because of tan suspended particles. Oh, wow. Shiro’s eyes went wide and he nearly spilled bringing the lip of the container to his mouth so fast. It was blisteringly hot, and every bit as good as he remembered. 

“Miso. Where did you get miso? Did we finally get that trade route up and going?” He took another sip, then another quickly. He hadn’t had miso since before Kerberos; his mama had given this to him for every cold or flu or sniffle when he was young. He was glad he could blame his watery eyes on his allergies. “Keith. This is perfect. Did you really call Mama and ask her about this?”

Keith muttered something unintelligble and took a sip of his own soup to avoid answering. Shiro beamed.

“She always made this when I got sick. I mean, she made it a lot the rest of the time, too. But especially when I got sick.” He swirled the container, kicking up the miso in the broth to resuspend it before taking another sip. Keith quietly drank his own, listening. Rather than go on, Shiro went on drinking, and when he was done and the container was dry he leaned back against the headboard again with a supremely satisfied sigh. His eyes fell closed and he let himself lean to the side a little, resting his head against Keith’s. Keith took his container to set aside, and then leaned into it with a contented sigh of his own.

“Thank you,” Shiro murmured after a while. Keith’s breath stuttered momentarily. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were asleep.”

“‘M not,” Keith slurred. He’d been up since five in the morning, Shiro knew, and hadn’t slept much the day before, and was probably dead on his feet. Sure enough, after less than thirty seconds Keith was still against Shiro’s shoulder once more and Shiro’s mouth twisted with amusement. But his stomach was full with childhood memories and love, and Keith’s body was pressed warm against Shiro’s side, and Keith’s scent was in his nose and Shiro was asleep again in moments.

He woke again later, to moonlight spilling in the window. They’d slept for hours, Shiro realized blearily. Keith’s breath still warmed Shiro’s shoulder, although they’d slid down, and Keith was now curled up against Shiro’s side. Carefully, Shiro got his arm under Keith’s waist and pulled him closer, gathering him to his chest, and then settled to sleep once more.

Allergy season wasn’t as bad when he had Keith to take care of him.


End file.
